End caps for pipe railings



Dec. 15, 1959 A, A, WAGNER 2,917,084

END CAPS FOR PIPE RAILINGS Filed Sept. 5, 1957 7l/figli. A

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f Mm p AM END CAPS FR PIPE RAILINGS Adolph A. Wagner, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to R & B

Wagner, Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application September 5, 1957, Serial No. 682,213

3 Claims. (Cl. 13889) This invention relates to improvements in end caps for pipe railings.

Heretotore it has been conventional in the art to weld end caps to close the otherwise open ends of railing pipes. The device of the present invention eliminates the need for welding, the novel fabricated end cap herein disclosed being readily secured tothe open end of a railing pipe with a press tit. The absence of a weld improves the appearance of the railing.

My novel end cap consists of mating concentric hemispherical portions having tangentially extending coaxial sleeve portions. The inner sleeve portion is longer than the outer sleeve portion and is telescopically received as a dowel within the pipe railing to connect the cap to the pipe. "ihe outer sleeve portion has its end offset from the end of the inner sleeve portion to provide a shoulder which abuis against the end of the pipe and denes the interconnected position thereof. The cap thus has a double wall in the area where the rail is most exposed to injury.

lvly method of fabricating the end cap is believed to be novel. Both inner and outer cap portions are desirably formed from substantially identical discs or annular blanks. The first blank is formed over a mandrel and the second blank is formed over the first blank without removing it from the mandrel.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will appear from the following disclosure in which:

Figure l is a side elevation, partly in section, of a stairway and pipe railing to which the claimed end cap is applied.

Figure 2 is an enlarged fragmentary cross section taken through an end cap as applied to an open ended railing pipe.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary axial cross section taken through a die set in the final step of forming the end cap.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of an end cap fabricated according to the present invention.

Figure 5 is a cross section taken through a die set at an intermediate stage in the formation of the inner cap member.

A conventional pipe railing may consist of uprights and cross pipes 11 12. Pipe 12 may be extended beyond upright 10, as shown at 13 and in ordinary course will have an open end. In the device of the present invention, the open end is closed by my novel end cap which consists of an inner member 14 and an outer member 15. The respective members 14, 15 comprise concentric hemispherical portions 16, 17 and tangentially extending coaxial sleeve portions 13, 19. Sleeve 1g has greater axial extent than sleeve 19 and functions as a dowel telescopically received within the open end of the pipe 13. The

ite States arent O end of sleeve 19 acts as a shoulder to define the seated position of the cap therein.

Both members 14, 15 of the composite end cap are desirably fabricated from annular discs substantially identical in size and configuration. The inner member 14 is formed about mandrel 23 whereafter outer member 15 is formed about inner member 14 which still retains the mandrel. The die 24 has a cavity 25, the radius of which is slightly smaller than the radius of preformed member 14- plus the thickness of member 15.

inner member 14 is formed with an annular external groove 28, somewhat exaggerated in the drawings. ln the course of closing the die 24 as shown in Figure 3, the pressure of the slightly undersized die 2d rolls or iiows the metal of outer cap member 1S into the groove 28 in the form of a rib 31 which engages with the groove 28 to interlock the members together.

The manner in which groove 28 is formed is suggested in Figure 5. In forming the inner member 14, a die 33 engages the blank 22 to bend it at 34. Tliigure 5 indicates a mid-point in the stroke of the die. Even after the die has completed its stroke to straighten out the blank to its tubular form 18, a residuum of the bend 34s remains as groove 28.

The outer annular edge of sleeve lill is chamfered or beveled as shown at 32 to facilitate its entry into the bore of the pipe 13. The external diameter of the sleeve 18 may be just a triile greater than the internal diameter of the pipe 13, thus requiring a press fit effected by hammering the end cap into the otherwise open end of pipe 13. in seated position the parts are securely fastened and can not be Withdrawn except with great difculty. l

The composite end cap lits very neatly on the end of the pipe railing and there is no welding bead or the like to disgure the joint. The double wall thickness of the cap is exceptionally sturdy to better absorb such impact shocks as may be imposed thereon.

I claim:

1. The combination with an otherwise open ended railing pipe, of an end cap closure therefor and comprising mating concentric hemispheres having tangentially extending circumferentially continuous coaxial sleeves, the outer sleeve having a shoulder axially oliset from the end of the inner sleeve for abutment against the end of the pipe railing, the inner sleeve extending beyond said shoulder to constitute a dowel of substantially xecl circurnference slightly greater than the inner circumference of the railing pipe and telescopically received within the railing pipe with a press it.

2. The device of claim 1 in which said inner sleeve has an annular groove on the outer surface thereof, said outer sleeve being provided with an annular rib on the inner surface thereof and interlocked with said groove.

3. The device of claim l in which the outer end of the inner sleeve is chamfered to facilitate entry thereof into the railing pipe.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,454,555 Henderson Nov. 23, 1948 2,683,927 Maronek July 2U, 1954 2,688,890 Williams Sept. 14, i954 2,710,027 Husgen June 7, 1955 2,840,113 Simpson June 24, 1958 2,859,462 Stockdale Nov. 11, 1958 

